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“Whoever called it ‘the gold rush’ was wrong,” says Sam Sackett, author of “Sweet Betsy from Pike,” a novel about the gold seekers who swarmed to California in 1849-1850.  “There wasn’t anything like a ‘rush’ about it.

Sackett’s point is that travel in those days was very slow.  “Today you could go from St. Louis to San Francisco in a few hours by plane,” he says.  “But in a covered wagon pulled by oxen the trip took months.”  The heroine of his novel started from Pike County, MO, in August 1849 and arrived at tghe Hangtown mining camp the next spring.  “Covering 25 miles a day was good time,” according to Sackett.

The “Sweet Betsy” of Sackett’s novel is a minister’s daughter, 18 and pregnant.  To escape the shame, she and her lover join a wagon train for the Hangtown gold fields.  Her experiences help her grow into a strong, independent woman.  The story is based on the folk ballad of the same name, which is reproduced in Sackett’s book.

Sackett is a retired university professor and a former president of the Kansas Folklore Society.  His nonfiction books include “Kansas Folklore” and a children’s book, “Cowboys and the Songs They Sang.”  Most of his fiction appeared in science-fiction magazines.

When the Rev. Elias Potter refuses to let his eighteen-year-old daughter, Betsy, marry nineteen-year-old Ike McNab, the two young lovers take matters into their own hands. With a baby on the way, the two decide to leave Louisiana, Missouri, in 1849 and journey to California to join the Gold Rush.

Betsy and Ike have no idea what the passage will entail, and it is not an easy one. Joining a wagon train, the two face danger and hardship as they climb mountains, cross the desert, and ford rivers on the long and arduous journey to California. Betsy and Ike must not only survive the passage itself, but must learn to eke out a living in the rough-and-tumble gold mining camp of Hangtown.

An epic poem in prose, Sweet Betsy from Pike follows the famous frontier ballad of the same name in tracing the story of a sweet girl who leaves Missouri and grows into a strong woman who learns to take charge of her own destiny.

An interesting piece of legislation has been introduced in the California Senate. SB 920 was introduced by Senator Leland Yee, in an effort to cut paper waste and save energy — both worthy causes. [Bill Would Limit White Pages]

Super Recycle Man

What I find interesting is the bill specifically names “white pages” telephone directories. The yellow pages are much larger and much more of a pain to store and dispose of. And lets face it, no one uses them any more.

I haul mine out when the electric goes out and I need to locate PG&E’s phone number but other than that, the thing sits on the shelf for 12-months, taking up valuable space. Sometimes I recycle them, other times – I hate to admit - they find their way into the trash.

Why would legislators single out the white pages? Possibly because a listing in the white pages is free, while businesses must pay to advertise in the yellow pages. If legislators really attempted to do something meaningful, such as, requiring people subscribe to all telephone directory services, Yellow Pages would be in court so fast it would make the heads of state legislators spin.

Circulation is a big deal in the advertising business and by the mere fact that every household in the nation receives a copy, Yellow Pages can charge humongous fees for their service.

I love that I can pick up a copy of the yellow pages in front of the grocery store but an optin system simply makes good sense all the way around — if you don’t count the loss of income to Yellow Pages. 

Now can they do something about those Thursday Shopping ads that litter my driveway. I’ve called and requested they halt delivery but no one cares. Don’t you just hate all the waste around us? It breaks my heart to drive down Twain Harte Drive and see beer bottles, Carl’s Jr. bags and worse.

Twain Harte volunteers are some of the most generous people around. Each month volunteers gather to clean up downtown Twain Harte, picking up the trash around the golf course, the tennis courts and some of the local trails.

My son and I try to always remember to carry along an extra plastic bag when we hike. We always come home with more than we left with. 

If you are interested in volunteering, contact the Twain Harte Chamber of Commerce for details at (209) 586-4482.

Jeb's Waffles and Ribs

At long last the mysteriously elusive Jeb’s Waffle’s and Ribs finally opened it’s doors last Thursday. We have been awaiting this day for years now. From all accounts Jeb’s is off to a rocky start.

One reliable source informed me that they normally have three breakfast cooks — this morning though, they opened with only one. One young man hired just yesterday, didn’t bother to show up for work this morning. The other called in sick. Perhaps the economy isn’t as bad as we thought.

I had stopped in during their interview phase last month, hoping they were finally open, they had an enthusiastic turnout if applicants, with many hopeful prospects. One would think it would be relatively easy to find qualified employee’s in todays market.

When you are collecting unemployment benefits, after working hard, for many years, it’s sort of hard to go back to the daily grind of working every single day. Once those unemployment benefits start to wind down, the full impact of all the recent store closures will hit home with area residents.

New Restaurant Rhythm

After attending the near opening of Gary’s Country Deli, located in Galt, CA several months ago, we swore we’d never do that again.  We made a special trip to the valley and stopped in on their second day of business — it was painful to watch. The right hand just didn’t know what the left was doing — or not doing. It took forever to get our meal (well, just shy of 2 hours) — today was just a repeat.

Club Sandwich

It takes a time for a new business to establish routines, set down policies for staff and define job duties. Let’s just say a lot of things get overlooked in the planning stages of any new business. A restaurant is unique because there are so many little details that make up a fine well-tuned team. Working out the rhythm is no simple task. It probably doesn’t help that we showed up at just past Noon on a Tuesday, only their 6th day open.

Delay in Opening Business

Rumors have been flying for years as to why Jeb’s had not opened.  So, I took this opportunity to ask a waitress about the long delay. According to this young lady Jeb’s didn’t have enough parking area for patrons, so the City of Sonora forced them to purchase more land. The auto dealership (who now has a new paved parking lot as well) located next door provided the necessary space that allowed Jeb’s to expand their parking area.

Ordering off the Menu

Shawn claims the turkey club he devoured was one of the best he has ever had. Score one point for the home team. I helped out with the cooked-to-perfection onion rings. If you’ve had onion rings from The Rock Pub and Restaurant, in Twain Harte, and like them, you will enjoy these. They are most likely the very same brand.

Alaskan White Fish Sandwich

I ordered the Alaskan White Fish Sandwich, on a hard, crunchy sub bun that dwarfed the fish in comparison. The fish was lukewarm and very crunchy, not over-cooked crunchy but a very crusty coating, I couldn’t quite make out what it was exactly. I ate the fish, dumped the bun.

Jeb’s colorful nature strewn menu held many options — breakfast is served all day our bubbly drink server happily informed us. The one obvious omission was the absence of appetizers — no mozzarella sticks for me.

 It didn’t take much convincing for Zachary to order breakfast. He said the waffle and sausage were good, and the eggs were lacking bread — a common staple when eating eggs in our home. The menu also mentioned a “cream sauce” that came with their waffles, though the only thing we could see was a lump of butter.

Half-Waffle with Sausage and Egg Over-Medium

As for some of the other food; Jeb’s only serves seasoned french fries, mine were rather crunchy and not hot. The cook had forgotten Shawn’s onion rings and as far as I could tell that was the only item served hot to our table.

The portions were fair, the food, of course was fresh. The wait for our food was very lengthy, but it was to be expected at this stage in their development. Picky restaurateurs will want to wait to make visit, until they have all the kinks worked out.

We’ve agreed to try them out again next month and see if we have an improved dining experience. We are always on the lookout for a nice family restaurant to frequent, we haven’t written Jeb’s off just yet. Our family is hoping they can pull their act together.

If you are looking for employment, Jeb’s Waffles and Ribs just might have an opening, stop in for a gander and see.

I invite our readers to stop in and sample Jeb’s menu, then drop us a line and let us know what you ordered and how you enjoyed your meal.

Jeb’s Hill Country Cooking
729 Mono Way
Sonora, CA 95370
(209) 588-9633